naive

/naɪˈiːv/ (bre, ipa) · /naɪˈiːv/ (ame, ipa) · /nä-ˈēv nī-/ (ame, mw)

naive — adjective

  • naivepositive
  • more naivecomparative
  • most naivesuperlative

1. lacking the knowledge or experience that helps you judge whether people or situa

1.形容詞B1
釋義

lacking the knowledge or experience that helps you judge whether people or situations can be trusted — for example, a young person who believes every promise they hear because they have never been deceived before.

例句

Baraka was naive enough to believe the stranger's offer of a free trip.

be naive enough + to-infinitive

It was naive of Zayd to lend money to someone he had just met.

it is/was naive of [sb] to [do]

同義詞
  • gullible

    stronger implication of having been actually tricked or deceived, while naive focuses on lack of experience

  • credulous

    more formal; suggests being too ready to believe without evidence, whereas naive is broader

  • unsuspecting

    describes someone who does not expect danger or deceit, without implying a general lack of experience

反義詞
  • cynical

    assumes the worst about people's motives; the opposite of trusting

  • suspicious

    inclined to doubt rather than believe; direct opposite of naive trust

  • worldly

    having wide experience and good judgment of people and situations

文法句型

it is/was naive of [person] to [verb]

naive enough to [verb]

be naive about [topic]

naive + noun (trust, view, belief, idea, opinion)

用法筆記

Often followed by 'enough to' + infinitive to describe the specific action that shows the person's lack of judgment. Subject is normally a person, or a noun such as 'trust', 'view', or 'belief'.

常見錯誤

❌The court found the defendant naive of all charges.
✅The court found the defendant innocent of all charges.
💡'naive' means lacking worldly experience, not 'not guilty'.
❌She was too naive to understand the maths problem.
✅She was too inexperienced to understand the maths problem.
💡'naive' relates to trust and judgment of people/situations, not general intellectual ability.

2. having a natural, childlike quality that makes someone seem pure, simple, and fr

2.形容詞B2
釋義

having a natural, childlike quality that makes someone seem pure, simple, and free from any intention to deceive — used in a positive or admiring way to describe a person's character or manner.

例句

Élise has a naive charm that makes everyone feel at ease around her.

naive + noun (charm)

The old photo showed Christopher's naive smile the year he turned five.

同義詞
  • innocent

    overlaps but also means 'not guilty'; naive specifically describes an uncalculating character

  • artless

    more formal, suggests naturalness without effort; naive can be more about simplicity

  • ingenuous

    formal synonym; stresses openness and candour rather than simplicity

反義詞
  • sophisticated

    worldly-wise and socially polished; the opposite of childlike simplicity

  • artful

    skilful at deceiving others; opposite of artless sincerity

文法句型

naive + noun (charm, smile, wonder, honesty, kindness)

用法筆記

Used in a positive sense to describe a quality of innocence seen as charming or refreshing. This contrasts with sense 1 (TOO TRUSTING), which is normally critical. Distinguish by the surrounding context: if the speaker clearly admires the person, the sense is likely this one.

常見錯誤

❌He is naive because he does not understand how cruel people can be.' (criticising)
✅He has a naive honesty that makes people trust him.' (admiring)
💡Check whether the speaker is praising or criticising to pick the right sense.

3. describing a style of painting or design that is deliberately made to look simpl

3.形容詞C1
釋義

describing a style of painting or design that is deliberately made to look simple and untrained, as if done by a child or someone who never studied art formally — the pictures typically feature vivid colours, flattened forms, and little sense of depth.

例句

Felix's living room is decorated with bright, naive paintings of village life.

naive + noun (painting, art, style)

The gallery featured a collection of naive art from self-taught Brazilian artists.

同義詞
  • primitive

    overlaps but can sound dismissive; 'naive' is the standard art-historical term

  • self-taught

    describes the artist's background rather than the style itself

  • folk

    broader term for traditional community-based art; naive is one style within folk art

反義詞
  • sophisticated

    technically skilled and polished; the opposite of deliberately simple

  • trained

    produced by someone with formal artistic education

  • academic

    following formal rules of perspective, proportion, and composition

文法句型

naive + noun (art, painting, style, artist, work)

用法筆記

Used in art criticism and museum contexts. Not applied to people in this sense — only to their work, technique, or style. The word carries a neutral or appreciative tone here, unlike sense 1.

常見錯誤

❌The artist is very naive.' (sounds like a criticism of his character)
✅The artist works in a naive style.
💡Use 'naive style' or 'naive art', not 'naive' alone, to describe the artistic approach.